RainToday.com's Podcast: Marketing & Selling Professional Services
Marketing automation tools are becoming increasingly important to today's lead generation efforts, but firms cannot abandon the human element of working with prospects. It's that human touch that shows prospects you care about them and leads to greater sales success, says Dan McDade, author of the book The Truth About Leads.
"There are so many companies now, and rightfully so, looking at marketing automation solutions and other tools. Those are all great, but remember nothing really happens until somebody has a conversation with somebody else," he says.
That human element can also prevent firms from losing the many long-term opportunities that get "left on the floor" because the prospect isn't ready to buy. You need a process that moves them closer to the sale, McDade says.